Sajda-e-Taazimi (Prostration out of Respect)

Allah (swt) has mentioned the order of doing sajdah to Adam (as) almost five times in the holy Qur'an.

1. Al- Baqarah 2:34

2. Al-A'raf 7: 11

3. Bani Israeel 17:61

4. Al-Kahf 18:50

5. Taha 20:116

In above verses Allah (swt) has not only permitted the sajdah of his caliph, but He Himself ordered for it. The one who did sajdah of Allah for thousands of years (Iblees named azazeel) and denied the sajdah of Adam (as) was considered kafir (2:34), fasiq (18:50) and among those who do not do sajdah at all (20: 116).

Tafseer of Sajdah of Adam (as) from the Imam’s (as):

In a long tradition Imam Raza (as) narrates from his fore fathers upto the Holy Prophet (saww):

"Then the Blessed the Sublime God created Adam, placed us in his loin and ordered the angels to fall in prostration in order to exult and honor us. Their prostration was indeed equal to their worship of the Honorable the Exalted God and a form of honoring and obedience for Adam due to our being in his loin. How could we then not be nobler than the angels while all the angels have fallen in prostration for Adam?”"

[Source: Taweel Al Aayat Pg.836 / Elal ush Sharae Vol.1 Pg.5]

For those who say that the Prostration to Prophet Adam (as) was a specific order of Allah (swt) then read the below verses of the Holy Quran on prostration of Prophet Yunus (as) and others to Prophet Yusuf (as).

And he raised his parents high on the throne (of dignity), and they fell down in prostration, (all) before him. He said: "O my father! this is the fulfillment of my vision of old! Allah hath made it come true! He was indeed good to me when He took me out of prison and brought you (all here) out of the desert, (even) after Satan had sown enmity between me and my brothers. Verily my Lord understand best the mysteries of all that He planneth to do, for verily He is full of knowledge and wisdom.[Quran 12:100]

It is narrated from Muhammed s/o Hamdan, from Ibrahim s/o Baltun, from his father, he said: “ I was one of the gatekeepers of Mutawaakil. One day fifty slaves were gifted to him by Khazar, mutawakkil ordered me to take their custody and treat them well.

A year later, I was in the court of Mutawakkil, while Abul-Hasan Imam Ali Ibn Muhammed An-Naqi(as) arrived, while Imam(as) took his seat, Mutawakkil ordered me to bring out those slaves from their shelters, hence I brought all of them. When they came, they all fell in Sajdah (ta’zimi) for Abul-Hasan(as) as soon as they saw him. Mutawwakkil couldn’t control his anger on seeing this, stood up and walked out, hiding himself behind the curtain. After a while Imam Abul-hasan(as) left.

When Mutawakkil realized that he(as) has gone away, he came out and screamed in anger; “ Woe unto you O Baltun! What have these slaves done?

I replied: “ By Allah(swt), I do not know at all”.

He said: ask them, then I asked them about their action. They replied: “This (holy) person comes to us every year for ten days and teaches us religion and he is the vicegerent of Holy Prophet(saww)”.

Then Mutawakkil ordered me to kill them, then I had to kill all of them.

Later that evening I went to Abul-Hasan(as), as I reached his door, the slave of Imam(as) looked at me, recognized me and allowed me to go inside. Then I eneterd the house.

Imam Hadi(as) was sitting, he asked: “What happened to those people O Baltun!?

I replied: “ By Allah(swt), all of them were killed.”

Imam(as) asked: “All of them?”

I replied: “Yes by Allah(swt).”

He(as) said: “Would you like to see them?”

I replied: “ Yes O, the son of Prophet(saww)!”

He(as) pointed toward a curtain and told me to enter, as soon as I entered, I saw all of them were sitting (alive) and eating fruits kept in front of them!

"The Holy Prophet (saww) had 3 things which none other than him had. There was no shadow of the Prophet (saww). From where ever the Prophet (saww) used to pass such a smell use to come for 3 days that people came to know that the Prophet (saww) had passed from here. And which ever stone and tree the Prophet (saww) passed by they fell in his prostration (out of respect)."

"The similitude of the believers in accepting the guardianship (Wilayah) of the Commander of the Believers (Ali) on the day of Ghadir Khum is that of the angels in prostrating before Adam, and the similitude of the one who rejected the Wilayah is that of the devil (Iblis)."